2013 is only halfway through, drug yet I can say with confidence that the music scene has experienced a 6 months unlike any other in Boston’s recent history.
The most peculiar part is that the first four or so months of it were a bit of a drag. The Phoenix closed its doors, silencing one of the strongest voices and biggest proponents of local music, and the DIY scene continued to struggle. When things began to turn for the better come April, I began realizing a trend that, to me, continues to be encouraging: Boston music is taking a turn towards the national.
Don’t get me wrong, our city has always had its select studs grow beyond Boston borders, but for some reason, it has occurred with disappointing irregularity. Now, I’m never one to put down the local scene, but with resources dwindling even further at the beginning of this year, there felt like a bit of a disconnect. The bands and voices that were at one point prominent in small clubs, basements, papers, and radio waves, were a bit more hidden, and chatter of Boston music within its boundaries was at a low point.
This seems like bummerfest 2k13, right? Not necessarily. Rather than be silenced by drawbacks, Boston bands once again showed their resilience by yelling louder, so that folks beyond Boston could hear. Groups like Fat History Month, Pile, and Speedy Ortiz are now experiencing the fruits of endless DIY touring, while bands from all over Massachusetts have seen love from national outlets like Pitchfork, Stereogum, NPR Music, even Rolling Stone. What’s most valuable, however, is the collection of releases from local bands (specifically rock bands (those ones with guitars)) that has fueled the stampede outward from our neighborhood. Here’s just a sample of what I mean:
Pretty & Nice – “Golden Rules for Golden People”
The long awaited full-length from Allston art-poppers Pretty & Nice has received considerable attention, including a favorable score from Pitchfork, and has led them on a hefty national tour.
Fat History Month – “Bad History Month”
Your favorite local band’s favorite band put together another record that many refer to as a masterpiece, and is heavy enough to make your average punk shed a tear. One of the many recent releases from the fast-growing Exploding In Sound Records.
Arvid Noe– “Islington”
Arvid Noe’s noise furious noise punk has connected with basement-dwellers for years, and while they may be coming to an end, their latest, Islington, is some of their best work yet.
Young Adults– “Born in ‘91”
The former Allstonites turned Western Massers got some punches in early this year with their Born in ’91 EP. They’ve continued the surge with an awesome new video for “Spectre” with help from Loroto Productions.
Bunny’s A Swine– “Calling Out”
Northampton rockers Bunny’s a Swine have led a charge out of Western Mass for a few years now, and their latest, Calling Out, is one of their strongest.
Speedy Ortiz – “Major Arcana”
Speedy is perhaps MA’s biggest success story as of recent. With write-ups from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and SPIN among others, their upcoming Major Arcana LP on Carpark Records is causing an appropriate stir.
Krill – “Lucky Leaves”
The JP trio’s Lucky Leaves is the one album this year that makes me feel sad in the best way possible. They’ve been named a “Band To Watch” by Stereogum, and even though they are releasing their new album independently, it’s fixing to make a lot of people near and far really emotional.
Potty Mouth – “Hell Bent”
Western Mass Punks Potty Mouth have announced that they’re hooking up with Old Flame Records to release their upcoming full-length, Hell Bent, on September 17th– A quick leap from having just formed in late 2011.
Kal Marks – “Life is Murder”
Allston trio Kal Marks is another that is prepping an album for the fall that could very well create considerable buzz beyond local borders. Some of the best young songwriters this area has to offer, keep your ears out for these guys in the second half of 2013.
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These releases are just a few that are keeping young music from our neighborhood an exciting thing to be a part of. Support continues to draw from within as well. The opening of Deep Thoughts record store in JP, and independent labels like BUFU Records have helped create a home for new musicians, while new voices like The Media and Vanyaland have lent their efforts to provide a level of acclaim to Boston-bred talent over the Internet.
2013 so far to me feels different, but it would be ignorant not to admit that it’s in a good way. As long as we are willing to share, Boston should feel good about what’s to come for the rest of this year.